The wheel handling apparatus of the invention is an improvement of the wheel manipulator disclosed by Charles E. Strange in U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,310. This wheel manipulator has a carriage that is vertically adjustable relative to an upright frame. A wheel holding structure is mounted on the carriage to secure a wheel to the carriage. A winch mounted on the frame is used to elevate the carriage and wheel holding structure above a support surface. The wheel holding structure is mounted on a turret that allows the wheel to be rotated by the workperson and locked in a selected rotated position. The turret has a plate used to connect the wheel to the turret. Nut and bolts are be used to directly connect the hub of a wheel to the plate. On larger wheels extension arms and nut and bolt assemblies are used to connect the wheels to the plate. This type of mounting structure for the wheel on the plate requires considerable labor and time and is not adaptable to all types of wheels.